This invention relates to a signal cable assembly and, more particularly, to a cable assembly for transmitting an electrical signal between a power source and a load.
Various types of cables have been used to transfer electrical current between a power source and load. For example, the signal from an audio component such as a tape recorder, compact disc player, phonograph, FM tuner, or the like, is transmitted by a cable to an amplifier for amplifying the signal before it is transferred to a loudspeaker for reproduction. Standard cables of this type are usually formed by a plurality of wire strands surrounded by a sleeve of insulating dielectric material of rubber or plastic. However, this type of insulation causes problems in the reproduced signal for what is believed to be the following reasons.
First of all, the current flowing through a conductor creates a magnetic field extending radially outwardly from the center of the conductor. The magnetic flux within the field is a component of the signal transmitted through the cable, and is momentarily stored by the standard dielectric insulating material and released immediately thereafter. This released energy is, of course, delayed with respect to the main signal passing through the cable which causes aberrations in the signal and a "noise floor".
Secondly, at least a portion of this magnetic flux energy passing through, or briefly stored by, the dielectric is converted to heat and is thus lost which, in the case of an audio cable, caused a reduction in amplitude of the audio signal especially the bass frequencies that are reproduced, and a reduction in the reproduction of the leading edge of the musical transients which also contributes to the loss of clarity in the reproduced audio signal.